SEND Centre Manager - Alternative Education Provision

Stoke-on-Trent | Specialist SEND / Alternative Provision | Full-Time | Permanent
£30,420 - £33,738 per annum

Are you an experienced education or SEND professional ready to take responsibility for the day-to-day leadership of a specialist provision?

Do you have the confidence to lead staff, support young people with additional needs and ensure a small education centre delivers consistently high standards?

Would you like a role combining education, pastoral leadership, operations and staff management, where you can have a direct impact on young people who may have struggled within mainstream education?

A specialist education provider in Stoke-on-Trent is seeking an experienced and proactive SEND Centre Manager to oversee the day-to-day operation of one of its specialist learning centres.

The provision supports children and young people who require an alternative to mainstream education, including learners with SEND, additional learning needs, social and emotional needs and pupils who may have experienced disruption to their education.

This is a hands-on leadership role with responsibility for ensuring the centre provides a safe, structured and supportive learning environment. You will lead the staff team, oversee the delivery of individualised education programmes and ensure young people receive consistent academic, pastoral and behavioural support.

You will also act as a key link between the centre, families, schools, local authorities and other professionals involved in each young person's education.

Key responsibilities include:

• Taking overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the education centre.
• Leading, motivating and supporting tutors, mentors and wider support staff.
• Maintaining a calm, structured and positive environment for young people with additional needs.
• Ensuring learners receive high-quality, personalised education and support.
• Overseeing individual learning programmes and ensuring provision reflects each young person's needs and agreed outcomes.
• Supporting learners with SEND, SEMH, behavioural needs and barriers to mainstream education.
• Ensuring appropriate interventions are implemented where young people require additional academic or pastoral support.
• Supporting staff with behaviour management, emotional regulation and engagement strategies.
• Promoting positive relationships between staff and young people.
• Overseeing timetables, staffing arrangements and the effective allocation of resources.
• Ensuring staff understand individual pupil needs and provide consistent support.
• Working closely with parents and carers to maintain effective communication around pupil progress and wellbeing.
• Liaising with schools, local authorities and external professionalsinvolved in supporting individual learners.
• Contributing to pupil reviews, progress meetings and wider multi-agency discussions.
• Supporting referrals and transitions into and out of the provision.
• Ensuring accurate pupil records, reports and operational documentation are maintained.
• Monitoring the quality of education and support being delivered across the centre.
• Identifying areas for improvement and implementing changes to strengthen provision.
• Supporting staff training, development and performance.
• Maintaining the highest standards of safeguarding, health and safety and pupil welfare.
• Ensuring the centre operates effectively and in line with organisational policies and procedures.
• Building positive relationships with external partners and promoting the provision within the local community.

The original brief places particular emphasis on managing daily centre operations, leading staff, coordinating programmes, overseeing resources, developing external relationships and ensuring strong health and safety and record-keeping standards.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has previous leadership or management experience within education, SEND, Alternative Provision, youth services or a similar setting.
• Has experience supporting children or young people with additional needs.
• Understands the challenges faced by pupils who may struggle to access mainstream education.
• Is confident leading and developing a multidisciplinary staff team.
• Has strong behaviour management and relationship-building skills.
• Can create clear structures, expectations and routines within a specialist environment.
• Is confident communicating with parents, schools, local authorities and external agencies.
• Has excellent organisational and operational management skills.
• Can manage staffing, timetabling, resources and competing priorities effectively.
• Understands the importance of safeguarding and maintaining a strong safeguarding culture.
• Is able tomonitor pupil progress and hold staff accountable for the quality of provision.
• Is resilient, proactive and comfortable working within a fast-paced specialist environment.
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Is passionate about improving outcomes for vulnerable young people.
• Holds a driving licence or has the ability totravel between services where required; the original specification lists a driving licence as preferred.

The opportunity

This role would suit an experienced SEND Teacher, Alternative Provision Lead, Pastoral Lead, Deputy Centre Manager, Provision Manager or education professional looking to move into a broader leadership position.

You will have significant autonomy over the running of the centre while remaining supported by a wider specialist organisation. The position offers the opportunity to combine educational leadership with operational management and directly influence the quality of provision received by young people with additional needs.

INDEDU